Corfu Reading Society

The Corfu Reading Society is the oldest intellectual institution in modern Greece. It was founded in 1836 by a group of fourteen young prominent citizens who had returned to Corfu after having completed their studies in Western Europe. The members of the Corfu Reading Society were the Ionian writers Dionysios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos, Lorentzos Mavilis, Iakovos Polylas, Gerasimos Markoras, Konstantinos Theotokis, the painter Angelos Giallinas, and many other prominent personalities of literature, arts, sciences and politics. The Society followed the model of “la Societé de Lecture de Genève” of which Ioannis Kapodistrias, Andreas Kalvos and other citizens of the Ionian Islands were members. The institution is housed in an emblematic building, typical of the Heptanese urban architecture at 120 Kapodistriou St., opposite the Palace of St. Michael and St. George. After 1767-1770 the building merged with two independent residences. The two buildings are depicted joined in a drawing by the British painter Edward Lear. Although the building has undergone several alterations and additions, it still retains its characteristics of the Renaissance, referring to the Venetian rule. Nowadays, the building of the Reading Society boasts a library open to visitors, comprising unique collections of books and other archival material dating back to the 16th century. Its capstone is the Heptanese library which relates to the region of the Ionian islands. It also has a significant number of rare newspapers dating back the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as maps and archival collections from the 17th to the 20th century. The Society is a member of the European Federation of Associations and Foundations "Europa Nostra" and has been awarded by the Academy of Athens (1978) for its exceptional work. The building also regularly hosts conferences, lectures, seminars and various cultural activities aimed at the preserving and promoting the culture of the Ionian islands. References / Bibliography -Αγοροπούλου-Μπιρμπίλη Α., Η αρχιτεκτονική της πόλεως της Κέρκυρας κατά την περίοδο της Ενετοκρατίας, Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, Αθήνα 1976. -Αναγνωστική Εταιρία Κέρκυρας https://anagnostiki-etairia-kerkyras.eu